Branson Team Does it Again

Our trial lawyers have been spending lots of quality time in courtrooms across Texas lately, and that’s the way we prefer it. Whether it’s an individual who has been injured or a business interest in a sticky commercial dispute, we always welcome a fair settlement, but we’re more than ready to stand up in front of a jury to get what our clients deserve. We’re happy to report strong outcomes in several recent high-profile cases.

West Texas Jury: ‘A Deal is a Deal’

In October 2015, we were in the Fisher County courthouse in West Texas for a partnership dispute involving a vast spread of West Texas shale drilling acreage. The issues at play were complicated and involved many parties, shell companies and cooked books, but we steered clear of rabbit trails with a simple message for the jury: in Texas, a deal is a deal. After three weeks of testimony, the jury awarded our plaintiffs $43 million, which included $19 million in exemplary damages after we successfully argued that the defendants’ fiduciary breaches amounted to “theft.” It was the fifth largest verdict in Texas in 2015.

Dallas Jurors: Choctaw Casino Cannot Ignore Charter Bus Safety

This spring, we were in a Dallas County courtroom with the families of two elderly women who died from injuries they suffered when a charter bus crashed and rolled over en route to the Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma, in 2013. We went to trial on April 12, 2016, after the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma refused to take responsibility for its role in ensuring the safety of its guests and offered only $50,000 to settle the case. At trial, our testimony established a critical finding that the Choctaw Casino had retained the right to control the charter bus and its driver. What the jury heard in plain English: the casino bore responsibility for the safety of its patrons even on a charter bus. On May 2, 2016, the jury returned a combined $10.9 million verdict for the families of two north Texas grandmothers who died as a result of injuries from the crash. The intervenor in this case was represented by Spencer Browne of Reyes Browne Reilley.

Dallas Jury: Physician Wrongly Forced Out of Business Partnership

In July, we returned to a Dallas County courtroom on behalf of a physician who was forced out of a partnership in two medical imaging center businesses. Our case established that the partnership director had orchestrated an effort to misappropriate funds from the businesses and mislead our client about the companies’ financial health and operations. The jury agreed, returning with a verdict that included $4.45 million in actual damages and another $598,500 in exemplary damages.

Why it Matters

Whether it’s a catastrophic injury, defective product, contract dispute or commercial conflict, there’s a common denominator here: when parties refuse to accept responsibility for the damages they’ve caused, The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson is fully prepared to go to trial and has a long history of achieving multimillion-dollar victories, and plans to add more to its track record.

Honors and Awards:

Positive outcomes for our clients will always be No. 1, but we’re also proud that peers and professional organizations are taking notice with important honors and professional recognition. Recent honors include:

Best Law Firms in America Metropolitan Tier I

The firm earned the highest-possible Tier I ranking for Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation for Plaintiffs, Product Liability Litigation, Professional Malpractice Law and Medical Malpractice Law.

Lions of the Bar

Firm founder Frank Branson is featured in the inaugural Texas Lawbook,Dallas Morning News and Houston Chronicle “Lions of the Bar” series recognizing lawyers who have had a profound impact on the practice of law in Texas.

Texas Super Lawyers

Frank Branson is honored again among the Texas Super Lawyers Top 10 lawyers in Texas. This marks the 10th year that Mr. Branson has received this Top 10 honor and the 14th year that he’s been listed among the Super Lawyers Top 100 in Texas.